Summary

In 1972, The Godfather and Deep Throat were the two most popular films in the country. One, a major Hollywood studio production, the other an independently made "skin flick." At that moment, Jon Lewis asserts, the fate of the American film industry hung in the balance.

Spanning the 20th century, Hollywood v. Hard Core weaves a gripping tale of censorship and regulation. Since the industry's infancy, film producers and distributors have publicly regarded ratings codes as a necessary evil. Hollywood regulates itself, we have been told, to prevent the government from doing it for them. But Lewis argues that the studios self-regulate because they are convinced it is good for business, and that censorship codes and regulations are a crucial part of what binds the various competing agencies in the film business together.

Yet between 1968 and 1973 Hollywood films were faltering at the box office, and the major studios were in deep trouble. Hollywood's principal competition came from a body of independently produced and distributed films--from foreign art house film Last Tango in Paris to hard-core pornography like Behind the Green Door--that were at once disreputable and, for a moment at least, irresistible, even chic. In response, Hollywood imposed the industry-wide MPAA film rating system (the origins of the G, PG, and R designations we have today) that pushed sexually explicit films outside the mainstream, and a series of Supreme Court decisions all but outlawed the theatrical exhibition of hard core pornographic films. Together, these events allowed Hollywood to consolidate its iron grip over what films got made and where they were shown, thus saving it from financial ruin.

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In 1972, The Godfather and Deep Throat were the two most popular films in the country. One, a major Hollywood studio production, the other an independently made "skin flick." At that moment, Jon Lewis asserts, the fate of the American film industry hung in the balance.

Spanning the 20th century, Hollywood v. Hard Core weaves a gripping tale of censorship and regulation. Since the industry's infancy, film producers and distributors have publicly regarded ratings codes as a necessary evil. Hollywood regulates itself, we have been told, to prevent the government from doing it for them. But Lewis argues that the studios self-regulate because they are convinced it is good for business, and that censorship codes and regulations are a crucial part of what binds the various competing agencies in the film business together.

Yet between 1968 and 1973 Hollywood films were faltering at the box office, and the major studios were in deep trouble. Hollywood's principal competition came from a body of independently produced and distributed films--from foreign art house film Last Tango in Paris to hard-core pornography like Behind the Green Door--that were at once disreputable and, for a moment at least, irresistible, even chic. In response, Hollywood imposed the industry-wide MPAA film rating system (the origins of the G, PG, and R designations we have today) that pushed sexually explicit films outside the mainstream, and a series of Supreme Court decisions all but outlawed the theatrical exhibition of hard core pornographic films. Together, these events allowed Hollywood to consolidate its iron grip over what films got made and where they were shown, thus saving it from financial ruin.

Be sure to check the format of the eTextbook/eChapter you purchase to know which reader you will need. After purchasing your eTextbook or eChapter, you will be emailed instructions on where and how to download your free reader.

Download Requirements:

Due to the size of eTextbooks, a high-speed Internet connection (cable modem, DSL, LAN) is required for download stability and speed. Your connection can be wired or wireless.

Being online is not required for reading an eTextbook after successfully downloading it. You must only be connected to the Internet during the download process.

Copying - Books that cannot be copied will show "Not Allowed." Otherwise, this will detail the number of times it can be copied, or "Allowed with no limits."

Printing - Books that cannot be printed will show "Not Allowed." Otherwise, this will detail the number of times it can be printed, or "Allowed with no limits."

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Reading Aloud - Books enabled with the "text-to-speech" feature so that they can be read aloud will show "Allowed."

Sharing - Books that cannot be shared with other computers will show "Not Allowed."

Min. Software Version - This is the minimum software version needed to read this book.

Suitable Devices - Hardware known to be compatible with this book. Note: Reader software still needs to be installed.

Summary

In 1972, The Godfather and Deep Throat were the two most popular films in the country. One, a major Hollywood studio production, the other an independently made "skin flick." At that moment, Jon Lewis asserts, the fate of the American film industry hung in the balance.

Spanning the 20th century, Hollywood v. Hard Core weaves a gripping tale of censorship and regulation. Since the industry's infancy, film producers and distributors have publicly regarded ratings codes as a necessary evil. Hollywood regulates itself, we have been told, to prevent the government from doing it for them. But Lewis argues that the studios self-regulate because they are convinced it is good for business, and that censorship codes and regulations are a crucial part of what binds the various competing agencies in the film business together.

Yet between 1968 and 1973 Hollywood films were faltering at the box office, and the major studios were in deep trouble. Hollywood's principal competition came from a body of independently produced and distributed films--from foreign art house film Last Tango in Paris to hard-core pornography like Behind the Green Door--that were at once disreputable and, for a moment at least, irresistible, even chic. In response, Hollywood imposed the industry-wide MPAA film rating system (the origins of the G, PG, and R designations we have today) that pushed sexually explicit films outside the mainstream, and a series of Supreme Court decisions all but outlawed the theatrical exhibition of hard core pornographic films. Together, these events allowed Hollywood to consolidate its iron grip over what films got made and where they were shown, thus saving it from financial ruin.

Digital Rights

eBook Requirements

VitalSource Bookshelf ReaderMinimum System Requirements:

Windows 7/8, or Mac OS X 10.6 or above

Software Requirements:

eTextbooks and eChapters can be viewed by using the free reader listed below.

Be sure to check the format of the eTextbook/eChapter you purchase to know which reader you will need. After purchasing your eTextbook or eChapter, you will be emailed instructions on where and how to download your free reader.

Download Requirements:

Due to the size of eTextbooks, a high-speed Internet connection (cable modem, DSL, LAN) is required for download stability and speed. Your connection can be wired or wireless.

Being online is not required for reading an eTextbook after successfully downloading it. You must only be connected to the Internet during the download process.

Copying - Books that cannot be copied will show "Not Allowed." Otherwise, this will detail the number of times it can be copied, or "Allowed with no limits."

Printing - Books that cannot be printed will show "Not Allowed." Otherwise, this will detail the number of times it can be printed, or "Allowed with no limits."

Expires - Books that have no expiration (the date upon which you will no longer be able to access your eBook) will read "No Expiration." Otherwise it will state the number of days from activation (the first time you actually read it).

Reading Aloud - Books enabled with the "text-to-speech" feature so that they can be read aloud will show "Allowed."

Sharing - Books that cannot be shared with other computers will show "Not Allowed."

Min. Software Version - This is the minimum software version needed to read this book.

Suitable Devices - Hardware known to be compatible with this book. Note: Reader software still needs to be installed.